Early Morning Fog
by Angela M
Summary: Description: Buffy goes to visit the old priest on the outskirts of town following the events of the series finally. Crossover with M*A*S*H
1. Default Chapter

Early Morning Fog  
  
By: Angela M  
Email: Angela_tenshi@yahoo.com  
  
Notes: There are mentions of the events that take place in the final episode of Buffy.  
  
Description: Buffy goes to visit the old priest on the outskirts of town following the events of the series finally. Crossover with M*A*S*H  
  
Prologue  
  
May 12, 2003  
  
Buffy entered the old church alone, she had told the others that she would meet them all in Los Angeles in another day, she had last minute business.  
  
"Buffy, I'm so pleased that you made it out of there alive."  
  
"It was pretty close this time Father."  
  
"Come inside and tell me about it."  
  
Father Mulcahy was an elderly catholic priest in his 90's, and he's been hard of hearing since the Korean War, but he was still as sharp as a tack, and probably the most compassionate man Buffy had ever met.  
  
They first met during one of Buffy's early patrols in Sunnydale.  
  
***  
  
November 7, 1997  
  
She had been tracking the demon for hours and finally found it hiding in an Old Catholic church just outside city limits. The demon that's name Buffy hadn't been able to pronounce had been killing and feeding off of the elderly on the west side of town.  
  
Slowly she entered the church, and raised her crossbow slightly. The demon was standing before the large cross hanging on the wall shouting at it in its unrecognizable language, mocking.  
  
Buffy took aim, just as the demon turned to face her, having smelt her enter the church. She was about to fire when she saw the old priest that the demon held in its hands.  
  
"Go, or god-man die." The demon croaked out.  
  
"You'll kill him anyways, so I think I'll take my chances." She fired the crossbow at the demons left knee, which was the knee farthest away from the priest.  
  
The Demon released the priest and fell to his knees screaming in pain, then keeled over and died. The priest looked wide eyed at the demon, and then turned to face Buffy.  
  
"Buffy Summers, I've been waiting for you." 


	2. Part 1: The Priest

Note: I own nothing.well almost nothing.  
  
Part One: The Priest  
  
Buffy looked at the priest with a mixed look of confusion and distrust.  
  
"How do you know who I am?"  
  
The priest smiled.  
  
"I was told about you."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"Ah now that's the question isn't it." He didn't offer anymore information on the subject.  
  
"Who are?" Buffy asked sharply.  
  
"I'm Father Mulcahy."  
  
Buffy began to walk backwards towards the door.  
  
"Please wait; I'm not a threat to you Miss. Summers. I just want you to know that if you ever need me, I'm here to talk to."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Buffy said slipping out of the church.  
  
***  
  
June 3rd 1997  
  
Father Mulcahy was praying in the front pew, holding his rosary close to his heart. His prayers were interrupted when one of the very heavy front doors slammed open. He turned to face Buffy Summers' tear stained face.  
  
"Buffy, are you alright?"  
  
"You.you said that I could talk to you.if..I needed to."  
  
Father Mulcahy was on his feet and he moved to Buffy's side quite quickly for a man of his age.  
  
"Oh of course Buffy, come sit down." He put his arm around her shoulder and led her to where he was sitting.  
  
"It's not fair." She said suddenly wiping off the tears.  
  
"What isn't?"  
  
"That I'm going to die."  
  
The priest gave a small smile, "We're all going to die one day, and join the heavenly father."  
  
"That's all fine and dandy if I were old, but I'm going to die tomorrow."  
  
"Who told you that?"  
  
"Giles, my Watcher. It said so in some old book of prophesies." She sniffed, and wiped her eyes again.  
  
Mulcahy rubbed her arm in a fatherly gesture.  
  
"And you believe it?"  
  
"Well, ya. When you're the slayer you kind of have to believe in destiny. I mean you're a priest you should too."  
  
"Sometimes we aren't given all the answer at once. Maybe you won't die; maybe it was a mistake or a misprint."  
  
"I wish I had your faith."  
  
Mulcahy stood up, and walked up onto the dais and looked up the large statue of Jesus on the cross.  
  
"When Jesus was told he was going to die, he wasn't too happy either."  
  
"Well lucky him, he was resurrected."  
  
"He didn't know that though, his destiny was to die, but that's not were it ended."  
  
"So, what your saying is don't count myself out yet."  
  
"As my friend Hawkeye might say, it ain't over till it's over. And your story is far from over."  
  
"How can you be sure?"  
  
"Trust me." 


	3. Part 2: The Man in A Dress

Part Two:  
  
February 12, 1998  
  
"Where do you want this box Padre?" Buffy asked, while lifting the very heavy crate.  
  
"Be careful Buffy, that box weighs a ton, I don't want you to hurt yourself"  
  
Buffy smile at the priest chidings, but didn't put the crate down.  
  
"Well, since your obviously just going to ignore me, you can put it into my office."  
  
She walked into his office and put the box down in front of his desk, and took time to look around the small room.  
  
On the wall were several old pictures of the Father in some army hospital, as well as some boxing pictures and an old pair of boxing gloves.  
  
She took one picture off the wall of a man in a dress, and called out into the chapel.  
  
"Is there something you aren't telling me Father?"  
  
"Pardon?" Father Mulcahy called back; he was a little hard of hearing, and he walked into the office.  
  
Buffy held up the picture and re-asked the question.  
  
"Something you aren't telling me?"  
  
"Very funny, that's Corporal Maxwell Klinger."  
  
Buffy sat down on top of Mulcahy's desk, still holding the picture.  
  
"Why's he in a dress?"  
  
"He was trying to get discharged from the army for being insane."  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"Our coronals saw through his ploys. He stayed with us at the 4077 all the way to the end of the Korean War. In fact he married a Korean girl name Soon-Lee. Lovely woman, I married them the day before most of the personnel were sent home."  
  
"What did some people stay or something?"  
  
"Klinger and I did. He stayed to help his wife find her family. I stayed to help the orphans."  
  
"Way to go padre, good to know that there's still SOME good people left in the world."  
  
Father Mulcahy knew by the sound of her voice, that she meant something by that statement.  
  
"There are lots of good people in this world Buffy."  
  
"Right, until they loose their souls and go homicidal on your friends."  
  
"Ah"  
  
"Ah? Ah what?" She demanded defensively putting the picture down on the desk.  
  
"You're upset about Angel."  
  
"Angelus, Angel is dead."  
  
"Well technically so is Angelus."  
  
She gave him a look saying don't give me your trite distinctions.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" The priest asked, picking up the discarded picture and re-hanging it one the wall.  
  
"It's just I don't think I'm going to get him back Father. I don't think both of us are going to walk away from this, one of us is going to die."  
  
"Everything will be fine, trust me."  
  
"You keep telling me that. You claim to believe that we all have a choice in life, yet you talk as if you know how everything is going to turn out."  
  
"You'll understand one day." He said with the same cryptic answer that he gave every time she tried to get him to answer that question. 


	4. Part 3:AfterMash … AfterProm

Part 3: AfterMash . AfterProm  
  
May 13, 1999  
  
"Father?"  
  
"I'm in here Buffy." Father Mulcahy called from his office.  
  
Buffy walked into the office and found the good Father sitting behind his desk reading a letter.  
  
"Who's it from?"  
  
The Padre looked up, with tears in his eyes.  
  
"You ok Father?"  
  
"I'm fine, more then fine. It seems the orphanage that I helped out in Korea wants to name its newest building after me. The Francis Mulcahy Building."  
  
"That's great news."  
  
"Unexpected and unnecessary."  
  
Buffy made some odd noise while waving her hand.  
  
"Please, recognition is of the good. Prom for example."  
  
"How was prom by the way?" He interrupted.  
  
"Angel broke up with me, some moron released Hellhounds on the students."  
  
"Hellhounds?"  
  
"I'll get to that in a moment; I was going to tell you about the award I got. It was a little umbrella with a sign saying 'class protector'. Now I fight the forces of evil, I risk my life day in day out and I don't expect any thanks.but when they gave it to me, it was like WOW I made a difference, people really care."  
  
"It sounds wonderful."  
  
"So you see what I mean Father, even if unnecessary it's still nice to be noticed."  
  
"You're wise beyond your years."  
  
Buffy smiled, "That's what I think."  
"So," the padre started. "You were going to tell me about hellhounds.and Angel."  
  
"Some guy named Tucker though raising Hellhounds was a good idea, and he trained them to attack prom. No big, I killed them."  
  
"And Angel?" He prompted.  
  
"Thought that us having a relationship would be unfair."  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"I think that I have never loved anyone like I love him, and the thought of him leaving me.. It hurts."  
  
"Of course it does, but is he right?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe."  
  
She sighed then began to walk around the room looking at the pictures. She stopped in front of a painting of Father Mulcahy, a much younger Father Mulcahy.  
  
"When was this painted?"  
  
"Oh back in Korea, my old C.O. Colonel Potter painted it. His wife gave it back to me after he passed away about 15 years back."  
  
"That was nice of her."  
  
"Well when I finally came back to the States I started to work in the same hospital as the Colonel and Klinger. Sherman always told me that he would leave it to me when he passed on."  
  
"He was in the Calvary right?" She inquired turning back to the Padre.  
  
"That's right, he keep his sword behind his filing cabinet as a reminder."  
  
"So you've said.this is the third time this month you've mentioned mentioning his sword, why is that?"  
  
"You'll understand one day." He said once again. 


	5. Part 4: Men!

Note: I have made a few mistakes it seems.In chapter 3 I mentioned that Col. Potter was in the Calvery, that was SUPPOSED to be Cavalry.sorry about that. Thanks to Marcus Rowland for pointing that out.  
  
Another mistake was also made in Chapter one, it stated that Buffy met the good padre for the first time on November 7, 1997. That scene is supposed to take place shortly after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale and seeing as in Nov of 1997 Buffy was starting grade 11 and season 2 I made a bit of a blunder. It was supposed (in retrospect) to be January 7, 1997.Thanks WhiteWolf  
  
Part 4: Men!  
  
November 24th 1999  
  
Buffy was sprawled out along the front pew on her back, holding up a golden chalice.  
  
"..And what gives him the right to come and spy on me. I mean us breaking up was his idea, not mine."  
  
Father Mulcahy took the chalice from Buffy's hands and placed it back on the alter.  
  
"I'm sure he was just worried about you."  
  
"If he was worried he should have just picked up the phone. I mean god, he's been alive for like ever you would think he would learn the intricacies of the telephone."  
  
The good padre came down and sat beside Buffy, she got to a sitting position.  
  
"Buffy, what really has you upset?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Its like this Father, he was my world. Then one day he decides that he no longer wants to be a part of it. So I suck it up, and go on, brave little Buffy. And things get better.more then better."  
  
"And then Angel shows up."  
  
"And then Angel shows up, right. He comes back and starts sneaking around. He doesn't even have the nerve to at least say hi."  
  
Mulcahy put his arm on her shoulder.  
  
"I can only imagine that this is very difficult for you. Unfortunately I can't say from experience." He said with a laugh.  
  
Buffy smiled then continued.  
  
"And it couldn't be at a worse time, I've found someone. Someone solid, someone human, someone who hasn't terrorized Europe, which I might add is definitely a plus in my books."  
  
"Why don't you confront him about this, Angel I mean? If you don't let him know now how this makes you feel, then he's going to think that this is ok for him to do in the future."  
  
"I can't just call him up, that's something that should be said in person. And I am not willing to take a trip down to LA just to see him, that would be too personal, too I don't know, too some thing."  
  
"Weren't you telling me that your father wanted you to come down for a visit?"  
  
Buffy looked up at the padre and smiled.  
  
"Two birds with one stone. Thanks Father."  
  
"Anytime Buffy," The father said with a smile then looked down at this watch. "Speaking of time, don't you have a writing class to get to?"  
  
Buffy offered a quick good bye and was on her feet and running out the door using ever ounce of her slayer speed to get her back on campus before she was later.again. 


End file.
